The Hindu : National : Manmohan must respond to debate: Left

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Saturday, Aug 05, 2006

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Manmohan must respond to debate: Left

Special Correspondent

Enough evidence to show "goalpost has shifted" for the nuclear deal

NEW DELHI: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) is firm that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will have to respond to any debate on the India-U.S. nuclear agreement in Parliament, taking into account the sense of the House and what the Government will do on specifics.

With the party having highlighted nine points of departure from the July 18, 2005 agreement and the Bill being processed by U.S. lawmakers, the CPI (M) holds the view that there is enough evidence to show that there has been a "shifting of the goalpost."

The party is clear the Left parties want answers to specific points of departure pointed out and will not be satisfied with a "general statement" suggesting that nothing will be done against the national interest.

Left leaders say that for instance, there are doubts about the change of sequence including whether or not India will sign an "in perpetuity" agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency before the deal and availability of fuel from other nuclear supplies group in case the U.S. halts it.

The sense of House will be determined after discussions on the issue and the Prime Minister's reply should spell out the Government's thinking and what it is going to do, the Left leaders say.

Responding to a campaign that the Left parties were joining hands with the BJP, the leaders said the "bogey" was being raised to sidetrack the main issue on what the Government had been negotiating.

The Government, they said, had gone beyond what the Prime Minister said.

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